The present invention relates to the detection of the actuation of a fire sprinkler, for example, in tests related to research in controlling fires or in actual fire sprinkler installations.
In fire tests for evaluating the effectiveness of a fire sprinkler or arrangement of fire sprinklers, it is helpful to know the precise time of actuation of the sprinkler or sprinklers. The present art in detecting the operation of a fire sprinkler, as in fire testing, is based on the sprinkler being part of an electrical circuit that is interrupted the instant that the heat responsive element of the sprinkler actuates upon exposure to a fire. In one type, electrical wires extend to a heat fusible link that melts in response to the heat of a fire and allows water to flow. The link and wires are part of an electric circuit that is broken when the link melts, whereby the operation of the sprinkler can be detected. In electric sprinkler actuation detection devices generally, the electrical connections at the sprinkler may interfere, or be perceived to interfere, with the actuation event itself or with the water spray produced by the sprinkler. The interference with the water spray can be either in the region of the so-called deflector that generates the drops or in the spray formation region below the deflector.